Aims to regulate the roles of public adjusters and home improvement contractors concerning insurance claims.

Key provisions:

• Strengthens penalties for businesses engaging in unauthorized public adjusting, with fines up to $5,000 per violation.
• Prohibits public adjusters from acting as contractors, subcontractors, or providing construction, roofing, or repair services for insurance claims they have handled.
• Bans contractors and subcontractors from advertising, soliciting, or offering insurance claims handling, processing, or policy interpretation services before the insured initiates a property damage claim.

The bill seeks to eliminate conflicts of interest and prevent potential exploitation of policyholders during insurance claims.

Proposes statewide changes to the qualifications for certain members of Louisiana's fire and police civil service boards.

Specifically, the bill seeks to amend R.S. 33:2476(B)(1)(c) and 2536(B)(1)(c) to eliminate the requirement for local governing authority approval when exempting employee-elected board members from residency and voter qualifications.

Current Law:

·       Each fire and police civil service board consists of five members appointed by the respective governing body.

·       At least two members are elected by and from the regular employees of the fire and police departments.

·       These employee-elected members must be U.S. citizens, have resided in the area they serve for at least five years, and be qualified voters of that area.

·       An exception allows these members to be exempt from the residency and voter qualifications if approved by a resolution of the local governing authority.

Proposed Changes:

·       The bill removes the requirement for local governing authority approval for the residency and voter qualification exemptions.

·       This means that the two members elected by and from the fire and police departments would no longer need to be residents or qualified voters of the area they serve, nor residents of the parish in which the area is located, without needing approval from the local governing authority.

Establishes a Civilian Honor Medal Program within the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize civilians who contribute to military and veteran communities. 

Key Provisions: 

- Honors state employees for service to military/veteran programs and other civilians for significant contributions. 

- Civilian recipients must be Louisiana residents, have no criminal record, and be of good moral character. 

- Selection is at the sole discretion of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

- Civilian medals feature a white ribbon to distinguish from veterans’ medals. 

- Delivery options include mail, parish VA office, or public ceremony. 

- Medals must be delivered within 45 days unless a ceremony is requested. 

Impact: 

Extends recognition to civilians supporting veterans. Expected to have minimal administrative or fiscal impact.

Updates existing statutes to change references from the "Louisiana Public Defender Board" to the "Office of the State Public Defender" and replaces references to "indigent defender programs" with "district public defender offices." The bill standardizes terminology and corrects cross-references across multiple areas of Louisiana law, including criminal procedure, children’s code, retirement systems, judicial expense funds, ethical standards, and indigent defense funding methods.

Notable provisions:

- Maintains existing standards for appointing counsel on a rotational basis.

- Removes permission to deviate from appointment lists except as required by law.

- Removes outdated requirements for statewide implementation of the Safe Return Representation Fund.

The bill does not significantly alter current substantive law but ensures consistent terminology and clearer statutory language governing indigent defense services.

(Amends multiple statutes across R.S. 9, 11, 13, 15, 22, 36, 42, 46, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Children's Code; repeals R.S. 15:161(H))

HOUSE floor amendment [LINK] adds "per day" to the increase in per diem.

Enacts R.S. 33:4305(B)(6) to adjust compensation rules for board members of gas utility districts in East Feliciana Parish. Key points: 1. Per Diem Increase: Raises the maximum per diem for board members from $75 to $250 per meeting, applicable to up to 24 regular and 2 special meetings annually. 2. No Salary: Maintains the prohibition on salaries for board duties. 3. Additional Compensation: Allows reasonable extra pay for members serving as secretary, treasurer, or secretary-treasurer, plus reimbursement for proper expenses. 4. Scope: Applies specifically to East Feliciana Parish gas utility districts, leaving broader state law unchanged. The bill enhances compensation flexibility for these board members while retaining core governance structures.